Manifest: 'Shelf-Space' (Developer-Facing)

[Castle]

Shelf-Space — Development & Asset Manifest
Version: 0.0.4a
Publisher: The CollabGadget Co.
Description:
Shelf-Space is a cooperative, money-based board game set in a mall. Players manage anchors, stores, and tenant synergies. This manifest tracks mechanics, stats, formulas, components, prototype production, and development progress.
Purpose: Track progress;

Code:

[ ]

items are checkable milestones.

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Table of Contents

1. Core Game Design
   
2. Board & Layout
   
3. Anchors & Stores
   
4. Stats & Revenue System
   
5. Upgrades & Costs
   
6. Gameplay Mechanics
   
7. Event Cards
   
8. Product Cards
   
9. Currency & Denominations
   
10. Turn & Round System
    
11. Cooperative Features
    
12. Victory & Goals
    
13. Art & Visuals
    
14. Playtesting & Balancing
    
15. Prototype Production & Print Services
    

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1. Core Game Design

• Define game objective (co-op goal, revenue, synergy)
  
• Decide player count range and scaling
  
• Establish approximate game duration
  
• Draft initial ruleset
  

Notes: Game is cooperative; tenants can be shut down and replaced by new tenants mid-game.

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2. Board & Layout

• Create multi-directional mall board template
  
• Define wings (North, East, South, West)
  
• Place anchor and store positions
  
• Design special tiles (traffic surges, events)
  
• Finalize visual layout for playtesting
  

Movement Notes: Event cards dictate movement rather than purely linear movement; must be readable from all angles.

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3. Anchors & Stores

• List anchor types (MegaMart, Cinema, etc.)
  
• List smaller stores and kiosks
  
• Define stats for each (FT, NL, SZ, BA, SY, SI)
  
• Design Anchor/Store Deed Cards
  
• Test balance of revenue vs. cost
  

Deed Cards Include:

• Stats: FT, NL, SZ, BA, SY, and Special Impact (SI)
  
• Revenue formulas
  
• Upgrade levels
  
• Operating costs
  

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4. Stats & Revenue System
Stats Overview, Abbreviations & Formulas
Stat
Abbreviation
Effect
Formula / Notes
How It’s Determined / VisualizedFoot Traffic
FT
Attracts customers; affects revenue for tenant and neighbors

Code:

Revenue = BaseRevenue * (1 + FT/100)

Assigned by tenant type and size. Anchors higher FT, small stores lower. Visual: arrows/circles showing influence radius.
Noise Level
NL
Reduces revenue of nearby tenants

Code:

NearbyRevenue *= (1 - NL/100)

Assigned by tenant type (arcades/cinemas high; boutiques low). Visual: shaded “noise zones” around noisy tenants.
Store Size
SZ
Physical footprint; scales costs/upgrades
UpgradeCost =

Code:

BaseCost * (1 + SZ/10)

; Maintenance =

Code:

BaseCost * SZ/10

Set by type/real-world size. Visual: board tiles occupied or footprint icon.
Brand Appeal
BA
Popularity/prestige; boosts revenue & synergy

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + BA/100

Determined by brand or theme. Visual: stars, logo, or color coding on deed card.
Synergy Type
SY
Tenant category for adjacency bonuses

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + 0.05 * NumberOfSameTypeNearby

Pre-set category (Electronics, Food, Clothing). Visual: color-coded groups/icons.
Special Impact
SI
One-time or rare effect; may change revenue, stats, or movement

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + SI/100

or triggers special events
Assigned by special tenants or flagship stores. Visual: flashy icon or color burst; explained in card text.
Revenue Types

• Base Revenue: Standard tenant earnings
  
• Online Sales:
  
  Code:

  Revenue += BaseRevenue * OnlineSales%
  
  
• Traffic Boost:
  
  Code:

  Revenue *= 1 + TrafficBoost%
  
  
• Product Card Boosts:
  
  Code:

  Revenue *= 1 + ProductBonus%
  
  
• Stat Modifiers: Apply FT, NL, BA, SY, SI multiplicatively
  

Example Calculation:

• BaseRevenue = 100
  
• FT 40 → 140
  
• BA 30 → 182
  
• SY 2 nearby same type → 202.3
  
• SI special +10 → 222.53
  
• NL nearby 10% → 200.28
  
• Implement sample revenue calculations for anchors
  
• Test stat effects on revenue
  

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5. Upgrades & Costs

• Remodel (L1) bonus: +10–20% revenue
  
• Expansion (L2) bonus: +25–40% revenue
  
• Full Upgrade (L3) bonus: +50–75% revenue
  
• Operating Costs (Maintenance, Emergency, Tenant Rent)
  
• Shutdown & Startup Values
  
• Scaling formulas for SZ / BA / FT
  

Formulas:

• UpgradeCost =
  
  Code:

  BaseCost * (1 + SZ/10) * UpgradeLevelMultiplier
  
  
• MonthlyMaintenance =
  
  Code:

  BaseCost * SZ/10
  
  
• EmergencyRepair =
  
  Code:

  Revenue * Emergency%
  
  

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6. Gameplay Mechanics

• Revenue per round & per landing
  
• Upgrade implementation
  
• Event card interactions
  
• Stat and synergy bonus effects
  
• Player actions & optional cooperative choices
  

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7. Event Cards
Expanded Explanation:

• Traffic Boost Cards: Temporarily increase FT for a tenant or nearby stores.
  
• Mall-wide Events: Affect all tenants (holidays, sales, emergencies).
  
• Emergency Repair Cards: Force unexpected costs or downtime.
  
• Online Sales Boosts: Increase revenue through digital channels for one or more tenants.
  
• Special Synergy Events: Trigger extra bonuses when certain tenant combinations are adjacent.
  
• Test probability/frequency
  
• Ensure visual symbols and text clarity on event cards
  
• Include any SI-triggering events
  

Notes: Event cards often trigger movement, temporary revenue/stat changes, or special effects linked to SI.

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8. Product Cards
Stats Overview, Abbreviations & Formulas
Stat
Abbreviation
Effect
Formula / Notes
How It’s Determined / VisualizedPopularity
PO
Base consumer demand; increases revenue

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + PO/100

Set by product appeal. Visual: star rating or icon.
Hype
HY
Short-term buzz effect; temporary revenue boost

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + HY/100

Set by events or launch campaigns. Visual: flame/flash icon.
Rarity
RR
Scarcity; boosts revenue due to exclusivity

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + RR/100

Determined by edition, limited releases. Visual: gem/lock icon.
Market Trend
MT
Trendiness or popularity shift; may affect multiple rounds

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + MT/100

Assigned dynamically; visual: arrow up/down or trend graph.

• Associate with anchors
  
• Example: New Phone Release → % revenue boost
  
• Persistent bonus, separate from Event Cards
  

Revenue Formula:

Code:

Revenue *= 1 + PO% * HY% * RR% * MT%

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9. Currency & Denominations

• 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000, 10000
  
• Optional: special tokens for cooperative resources
  
• Track totals & denominations during playtesting
  

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10. Turn & Round System

• Define turn sequence
  
• Revenue collection rules
  
• Apply operating costs
  
• Upgrade rules & optional actions
  
• Round tracker integration
  

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11. Cooperative Features

• Resource pooling
  
• Shared bonuses from synergy
  
• Event mitigation cooperation
  
• Test cooperative decision-making impact
  

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12. Victory & Goals

• Define co-op goal (target revenue, foot traffic, upgrades)
  
• Optional competitive scoring per player
  
• Adjust goals for scaling difficulty
  

Notes: Final objectives are not set; focus on documenting mechanics first.

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13. Art & Visuals

• Board visual design
  
• Deed card layout
  
• Tokens and currency design
  
• Event card visuals
  
• Test readability & aesthetics
  

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14. Playtesting & Balancing

• Test revenue formulas
  
• Test upgrade progression
  
• Test event card impact
  
• Test cooperative mechanics
  
• Adjust difficulty, costs, revenue scaling
  
• Document feedback & iterate
  

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15. Prototype Production & Print Services
Steps for Physical Prototype:

1. Finalize Visual Assets
   • Board layout, deed cards, event/product cards, currency, tokens.
     
   • Prepare print-ready designs (high-resolution, correct dimensions).
     
2. Research Print Services
   • Compare services: The Game Crafter, Print & Play Productions, MakePlayingCards.com.
     
   • Check for print quality, card thickness, board options, shipping times.
     
3. Select Materials
   • Cardstock weight & finish (e.g., linen finish for cards).
     
   • Board material (foldable or mounted).
     
   • Tokens (wood, plastic, or punch-out).
     
4. Order Samples
   • Test print a small batch of cards, tokens, and board.
     
   • Verify color, size, and readability.
     
5. Build Prototype
   • Assemble board, tokens, cards, and money.
     
   • Label sections for stats, upgrades, and revenue tracking.
     
   • Create a “playtesting kit” including dice or other movement mechanics.
     
6. Initial Playtest
   • Test rules, stat effects, revenue calculations, and upgrades physically.
     
   • Take notes on clarity, difficulty, and flow.
     
7. Iterate
   • Adjust visuals, stat values, and board layout.
     
   • Order updated prototype if needed.
     
   • Document each iteration in dev manifest.
     

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Checklist Notes:

• Each
  
  Code:

  [ ]
  can be updated to
  
  Code:

  [x]
  when completed.
  
• Version 0.0.4a includes fully defined product card stats (PO, HY, RR, MT) along with tenant stats (FT, NL, SZ, BA, SY, SI) and enhanced event card explanations.